SMUHSD Superintendent Skelly on Importance of Collaboration

San Mateo Union High School District
A Commitment to Quality Education for a Better Future
650 N. Delaware Street
San Mateo, CA 94401-1732
Phone: 650.558.2299
SUPERINTENDENT SKELLY:
COLLABORATION AND COMMUNITY
Hello Parents/Guardians, Staff and Community Partners:

When I was in graduate school, I had a wonderful advisor who thought a lot about schools and universities.  His most memorable gallows humor about the faculty was that they were "a thousand independent agents, joined by a common sewer system."

This newsletter contains some of the numerous examples where our high school district's culture is made better because we collaborate. By working together, students, teachers, classified staff members, administrators, and parents strengthen the fabric of our work and improve the experience of our students.  It is the Board's goal to create a culture where everyone realizes that collaboration and community make for better experiences for our students. 

Our high schools are organized in a way that focuses on the learning of discrete subjects, rather than the entire student.  For this reason, our best educators know that to reach students authentically, they need to work closely with their peers to provide students with the rich, diverse experiences they will need to be successful. 
 
All this said, our most important collaborators are the parents and guardians who send us their most precious treasure and support their students' education in a myriad of ways.  Thank you.....

Sincerely,

Kevin Skelly, Ph.D.
Superintendent
THE MANY WAYS THE SMUHSD COLLABORATES
United Associated Student Body (UASB) of the San Mateo Union High School District
Student representatives from each of our schools come together to form the UASB.  This is student collaboration at its best. This student council organizes events throughout the year that bring students from our different high schools together. They connect our schools and students through exchange of information and shared experiences. Most importantly, these students are at the forefront of social change, looking critically at district-wide school activities to ensure activities are inclusive of every student. These students and their advisors - our school activity directors - unite our schools in ways not possible without their leadership and hard work.  And, importantly, the good ideas from one school are quickly considered and, as appropriate, adopted by others.  I have spent my professional career working with student leaders and our schools are special in this regard.
"More Than" Monthly Meetings
When you think of a "monthly staff meeting," you probably get visions of the hit show, "The Office" that pokes fun at workplace dynamics. The term "monthly staff meetings" invokes images of staff members dragging themselves to a stuffy room to hear a boss droning about a topic of little interest to them. This could not be further from the reality of our staff meetings.

Besides the meetings at each school, council members representing all areas of the high school experience, from athletics to library services, from math to the arts, gather monthly to share ideas and address issues related to their particular discipline or activity. We believe our district is strengthened when we give a strong voice to teachers in making curricular decisions and provide them with the opportunity to learn from each other.  You can be sure that, no matter the topic at hand, members of our council are deeply committed to your student's high school experience.
What Would We Do Without Parent Volunteers?
As I spend time on our campuses and attend performing arts activities and athletic events, I am consistently reminded of the myriad of ways our parents and guardians contribute their time, talents, and treasure to our schools.  The number of ways our parent groups - Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs), English Learner Advisory Committees (ELAC) at both the school and District level, Booster Clubs for sports and the arts, the Black Parents Association, the Peninsula Parent Speaker Series - fill the gaps is astonishing. The parents I appreciate the most care about their own children, but they also care about everyone's children. 
The "Greening" of Peninsula High
Every once in a while, a business comes forward to just "do the right thing." The only promise on the return of their investment is the fact that the business will be a positive force in the lives of students. This was the case for Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH) in Millbrae. This business donated approximately $5,000 worth of materials to fix and beautify Peninsula High.

Joseph Conroy, the manager of OSH Millbrae, was willing to help Peninsula with some much needed repairs to Peninsula's courtyard and even more needed "greening" of their spaces. OSH donated numerous bags of cement, as well as soil and MANY low-water-maintenance plants. SMUHSD staff stepped in, and patched cracks and repainted the courtyard. Then, on September 24th, Eagle Scouts came to remove all sorts of pine needles and debris from around the campus and swept the front of Peninsula High, including cleaning up one of the atriums. With OSH's donation and with the help of the Eagle Scouts, Peninsula High built a Green House and fixed the remaining atriums on Halloween.

This is an example of true collaboration - a visionary Principal, a caring business owner, committed employees, and a group of community-minded Eagle Scouts - made Peninsula a more attractive and warm place for Peninsula's students. 
Last Year's Program Cover
Next Gen In Concert
In Concert, in existence for almost 20 years, is our signature district-wide musical event that draws music students from across the district to perform for each other, the community, and guest directors. I can't wait to attend my first In Concert, given all the hype this event receives.  Very few districts have events like this that bring students from different schools to celebrate the musical skills of its students.

This year's In Concert will not only include a grand finale of an honors performance in Symphony Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble, but it will also feature a showcase of bands and a choir festival that will look to include more students from across the various musical programs in an effort to nurture the musical talents of all our students. This will be our first official In Concert week with multiple performances on different days! We hope you can join us.

This musical extravaganza is the result of a partnership not only across our schools and their musical directors, but with the SMUHSD's Foundation for the Fine and Performing Arts - a group of committed and invested parents and music enthusiasts who dedicate their time and energy to making sure In Concert continues to be the musical gem of our community. This musical event would simply not happen without the work of the Foundation and its members.
Stadium Lights
Unlike virtually every other district in the county, most of our schools do not have permanent lights on their stadium fields.  This means that, relative to their peers in other schools, our students have to miss more class for athletic contests, have fewer hours to practice their sports, and less ability for family members to attend their games. On October 8th, the Board of Trustees gave staff direction to begin planning the installation of high-quality lights and better sound/public address systems at our stadium fields, while also committing the district to work with our school neighbors to make sure their concerns were considered and addressed as completely as possible.

After meeting with different groups and neighbors, and conducting two Board meetings - one in April and one in October of this year - staff is looking forward to conducting community meetings this month. We are confident that the district, its families, and our school's neighbors can arrive at appropriate, reasonable standards that will meet the needs of our athletes, and address the concerns of our neighbors. If you didn't receive the invitation directly, please visit www.smuhsd.org/stadiumlights to get details on the meetings.
"Big Five" - School Emergency Guidelines
The Student Services team of the SMUHSD works tirelessly to stay engaged and informed on the latest regional emergency preparedness plans and makes sure our safety plans align with San Mateo County's "Big Five" - a standardized set of protocols for emergency response in schools. These plans are communicated and practiced by all of our schools so we are prepared for emergencies.

The SMUHSD works closely with the San Mateo County Office of Education, the Office of Emergency Services, and local police departments on ensuring our schools are well prepared and rehearsed in the Big Five. The strength of this work is in the use of common language that means the same thing from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, school district to school district, PreK through high school.

You - our school parents and guardians - are crucial partners in our efforts to keep students safe. Learn about the Big Five, practice it at home and talk about it with your family. The more people hear the language of the Big Five and understand its importance, the safer our students will be in the case of an emergency. You can access easy-to-understand multi-lingual Big Five flyers by clicking here.  
Flu Season is Here!
Flu season is here and the SMUHSD, in partnership with the San Mateo County Board of Education and the San Mateo County Health Department, is making sure that you have access to free flu vaccinations. Our District Nurse and school health aides have posted and shared information about flu vaccinations with all of our schools. In addition, information was shared via our public information communication outlets about where to receive a free flu shot. It's not too late.  By getting the flu vaccine, you can help keep you and your family healthy this winter. Visit http://www.smuhsd.org/studenthealth and see a list of FREE flu clinics across San Mateo County that do NOT require insurance, personal identification, or an appointment.
Ensuring 8th Grade Students Smoothly Transition to High School
The District team and each school's PTO share information with 8th grade families through our partner middle schools so 8th grade families are aware of opportunities to learn more about our high schools. There are three ways we help to ensure your student smoothly transitions to high school.

  • First, each school hosts "Shadowing Days," which are opportunities for 8th graders to visit comprehensive high schools and learn more about the high school experience. Typically held over the course of October, Shadowing Days fill up tremendously quick.
  • Second, in late October and early November, each school hosts a Parent Information Night where families of 8th graders can learn about our wonderful high schools that will be a "second home" to a student during their high school years. These evenings allow parents to learn about schools' academic programs, and extracurricular clubs and activities. To learn more about Shadowing or Parent Information Night, click here.
  • Finally, we share our Priority One Enrollment Window with families who are looking to "get a jump" on registering their student. Starting 8:30 AM on January 6, 2016 and ending 11:59 PM February 19, 2016, you can visit the District's Office of Student Services, located at 640 North Delaware Street in San Mateo, to complete the enrollment process for the 2016-2017 school year. During the Priority One Enrollment Window, students who have completed the residency verification and on-line enrollment form will be eligible to:
  1. Receive priority assignment to their school of residence
  2. Apply for a Sibling Transfer to another school within the District
  3. Apply for an Intra-District Transfer to a non-resident school within the District (Not applicable to Shared Residencies or Caregiver Status by Board Policy 5111.1)
If you have any questions at all on registration, please call our Student Services Office at 650.558.2257.
Supporting Our Students with Emotional Challenges
SMUHSD is dedicated to the social and emotional well-being of our students. Included in this effort is a comprehensive plan to assist and address 5150 situations, where students are threats to themselves or others. Last year, a committee of counselors and administrators worked toward creating a thorough response to 5150 situations. This year, the Student Services team has led trainings for all counselors, administrators, and support staff. We are beginning to confidentially document the frequency of these incidents to ensure we are supporting our students accordingly. We are dedicated to supporting the whole student (academically, socially, and emotionally).
 
If we remember our own high school years without rose-colored glasses, we realize how difficult being a teenager can be. And while school personnel are instrumental in helping to identify at-risk students and linking students to essential school and community mental health resources, you can help by letting us know if you are concerned about your student or one of their friends. A good dinner conversation can include your sharing how important it is to let someone know if your student is concerned about one of their friends. Partnerships, identification and education are central to helping students experiencing mental distress.
Connecting More Directly with Our Community Colleges
Did you know that half of our students will, at some point during their first five years after high school graduation, attend classes at Skyline, College of San Mateo (CSM) and Cañada College? This high rate of our graduates seeking higher education at San Mateo Community College District Schools suggests that we need to work very hard to ensure that our students know the educational opportunities at community colleges, and work with local colleges to align our curriculums so students can move seamlessly.
Adult Schools and Community College Educational Leadership (ACCEL)
The District's San Mateo Adult School is progressing, in part, through its evolving relationship with their partners invested in the future and promise of adult education. It is now operating as part of a larger education effort under the State of California's new Adult Education Block Grant (AEBG).  Five adult schools and the three colleges of the San Mateo Community College District have formed a county-wide consortium, Adult Schools and Community College Educational Leadership (ACCEL), to provide career and college pathways for adult learners.  ACCEL recently submitted a three year plan to the state with details on how each consortium member will implement the new education vision.  Upon approval of the plan, the state will release $2.3 million in new money to develop an integrated system for adults who are working toward better lives for themselves and their families. Adult education is vital to our community, and the SMUHSD feels that working with a group of organizations as invested as we are in adult education will only strengthen the future success of adult education.
IN CLOSING:
THE IMPORTANCE OF COLLABORATION
We are fortunate to live in a relatively prosperous part of the world.  However, this doesn't mean that families are immune from economic challenges and struggles.  Our school and district leaders have been having conversations these past few weeks about ways we can support families with difficult economic challenges.

It has been our experience that economic misfortune and family trauma are extremely hard on students and almost always spill over into the classroom and school. From food, to health concerns, to any incidental costs associated with school, we either have resources that can help or know where to find them.  It is precisely during difficult times when our collaboration is most important.

Sincerely,

Kevin Skelly, Ph.D.
Superintendent